Video data collection.jpg

Video data collection

The Coral Reef/Hardbottom Monitoring Project collects video data. Shown here, a scientist swims a video camera along a 20m transect line (faint yellow line). The camera is held at a constant height of 40cm by looking at a pair of laser dots. When the dots overlap, the camera is exactly 40 cm above the bottom. We swim very slowly during this video data collection, taking about 5 minutes to swim a 20m long transect. Coral staff do this for about 10 kilometers (6 miles) each summer. The Coral Reef/Hardbottom Monitoring Project video transects combined cover about three quarters of a square kilometer of reef habitat.


Image Credit: FWC



FWC Facts:
The organism that causes red tide in Florida, Karenia brevis, owes its name to a state researcher of harmful algal blooms, Dr. Karen Steidinger.

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